Turning 40 is a pretty big deal! Especially when the “40” in question is the 40th book in J.D. Robb's must-read In Death Series. Twenty years and 40 adventures later, we love Eve and Roarke now, more than ever!

Eve Dallas has solved a lot of high-profile murders for the NYPSD and gotten a lot of media. She—and her billionaire husband—are getting accustomed to being objects of attention, of gossip, of speculation.

But now Eve has become the object of one person’s obsession. Someone who finds her extraordinary, and thinks about her every hour of every day. Who believes the two of them have a special relationship. Who would kill for her—again and again…

With a murderer reading meanings into her every move, handling this case will be a delicate—and dangerous—psychological dance. And Eve knows that underneath the worship and admiration, a terrible threat lies in wait. Because the beautiful lieutenant is not at all grateful for these bloody offerings from her “true and loyal friend.” And in time, idols always fall…

Bonus: Get a sneak peek at J.D. Robb's Obsession in Death (available now) with an excerpt of Chapter 1. Learn more about the great prizes:

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Eve Dallas has solved a lot of high-profile murders for the NYPSD and gotten a lot of media. She—and her billionaire husband—are getting accustomed to being objects of attention, of gossip, of speculation.

But now Eve has become the object of one person’s obsession. Someone who finds her extraordinary, and thinks about her every hour of every day. Who believes the two of them have a special relationship. Who would kill for her—again and again…

With a murderer reading meanings into her every move, handling this case will be a delicate—and dangerous—psychological dance. And Eve knows that underneath the worship and admiration, a terrible threat lies in wait. Because the beautiful lieutenant is not at all grateful for these bloody offerings from her “true and loyal friend.” And in time, idols always fall…

Lt. Eve Dallas of the New York Police and Security Department has been on the job for over a decade., but it's only been in the last two years that several of her cases have garnered her a bit of notoriety.That and her marriage to multi-billionaire Roarke has made Eve the focus of media attention. In J.D. Robb's Obsession in Death, someone else has focused all of their attention on Eve and wants to show their loyalty and their devoted friendship to Eve. They want to show that friendship with a token—a gift of blood.

It has been 20 years since Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb, first created a futuristic world where guns are banned but man still finds a way to kill man. To balance the scales in this futuristic world, she has given us Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the New York Police and Security Department. A woman whose dark past of brutality and rape at the hands of her father forged her into a dedicated cop who protects the innocent and finds justice for those whose lives were taken away. With the upcoming release of the 40th novel in the series, we look at the world she created and the growth of the cop we love and admire.

The first novel, Naked in Death, starts us at the end of the year 2058. The world has long recovered to the darkness of the Urban Wars, and handguns have banned and most have been destroyed. Eve Dallas has been called to a homicide where a woman has been killed by a handgun and her investigation brings her to the door of a suspect and an avid weapons collector known only by the name Roarke. Eve doesn’t know that from the moment she sees the I.D. photo of the man with eyes bluer than the sky and a face made by God on his best day, her world would never be the same.

This week, H&H celebrates the forthcoming release of the fortieth (!!!) book in J.D. Robb's In Death series, Obsession in Death. As part of the celebration, we're taking an in-depth look at the sixth book in the series, Vengeance in Death. To join the discussion on Twitter, use the hashtag #obsessedwithindeath. And be sure to check out posts from fellow romance blogs Romance at Random and, next week, Smexy Books for more re-read fun.

In the course of J.D. Robb's In Death series, we have learned that Roarke grew up on the mean streets of Dublin, forced to pick pockets for his abusive father. In fact, he started his vast empire of Roarke Industries with the monies from criminal dealing on the far side of law. Roarke was still indulging in some of those shady dealings until he met Eve. There will always be a bit of the Dublin street rat lurking behind the polished businessman.

This week, H&H celebrates the forthcoming release of the fortieth (!!!) book in J.D. Robb's In Death series, Obsession in Death. As part of the celebration, we're taking an in-depth look at the sixth book in the series, Vengeance in Death (with a bonus excerpt of Chapter 1 from the book at the end of this post). To join the discussion on Twitter, use the hashtag #obsessedwithindeath. And be sure to check out posts from fellow romance blogs Romance at Random and, next week, Smexy Books for more re-read fun.

Vengeance in Death, the sixth of J.D. Robb's wonderful In Death Series, is a pivotal novel for relationships in the series. In book one, Naked in Death, Eve Dallas, homicide lieutenant, fell in love with a man with a criminal past. In book three, Immortal in Death, she is preparing to marry him. Vengeance in Death is a turning point in the Eve / Roarke relationship, the book in which Eve determines how much she trusts her new husband.

Trust does not come easily for Eve, as anyone who has read the series will be aware. As a child, she was abused and molested and, eventually, found in an alley in Dallas, covered in blood with no memory of her past. She was raised in state institutions and driven to law enforcement as a stable, safe harbor. Over the course of the first five books, Eve begins to regain some of her memories and what she recovers does not encourage trust.

Plenty of people joke about how dysfunctional their family is. For others, it is no joke at all, but a sad reality.

Romance novels examine this issue by looking at how coming from a tough home situation influences a hero or heroine and their love story. The shelves are full of books such as Mary Balogh’s A Precious Jewel, which shows the near crippling impact of a cruel, autocratic father and a seductive step-mother on the vulnerable hero. Others examine the high cost of having an alcoholic parent, such as Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s Natural Born Charmer. In Sweet Everlasting by Patricia Gaffney, the heroine’s father is physically and sexually abusive. The parents of the heroines of Jeannie Lin’s The Jade Temptress and The Lotus Palace sold them into prostitution. Even when the abuse isn’t horrific as that mentioned above a parent who is hyper-critical of their child can affect their self-confidence and ability to form strong relationships such as the parents of the heroine in Jennifer Cruise’s Bet Me.

Dysfunction isn’t always about direct abuse, though; sometimes the actions parents take against others can have a lasting impact on a child’s life. Perhaps the strongest of these impacts comes from having a parent who's killed. Whether they kill within the family, such as a dad killing a mom or step-mom or they are found guilty of killing others, the child forever wrestles with questions of tainted blood, guilt and that lost feeling of losing a parent even when they are still living. They also have to bear the shame and humiliation of being known as a murderer’s offspring.

Gia Andrew’s from Kimberly Belle’s The Last Breath has long known what the community thinks of her family.

Naturally, the fandom exploded, so Robb herself (a.k.a. Nora Roberts) took to her blog to clarify several points, including the fact that while the rights have been sold, this does not guarantee a movie will be made. (The project is in the very early stages of development, and as film buffs know, many projects do not make it all the way into production, let alone theaters. In those situations, if/when the option runs out, the rights revert back to the author/publisher/rights holder.)

I’ve met face-to-face with the producer, twice. She has not only read the books, she gets them–and the characters. I’ve turned down option offers before, for this series and for my other work because I didn’t feel it was a good fit. This feels like one.

Will it be? No absolute guarantee, but I have to trust my instincts.

...

Will the movie be an exact reproduction of the book? Again, no. It can’t possibly be. It’s based on the novel, translated from the novel to the screen, interpreted by a director, a cinematographer, a screenwriter, and far from least of all, by actors. Both the producer and I agree the film must, absolutely must, remain true to the core of the book and the characters. But yes, some things will be left out, some things will change in order to make the shift from page to screen.

...

I’m not in charge of casting–I wouldn’t know where to begin. But again, I’ll have input. Actors act, and a really good actor becomes the role. Gregory Peck became Atticus Finch, Anthony Hopkins Hannibal Lector. For me Tom Cruise became Lestat, Michelle Williams Marilyn Monroe, Jennifer Lawrence became Katniss (and Mystique!) That’s what I’m looking for when the time comes–actors who can make me believe–as their creator–they’re the characters.

What are your thoughts on a possible Naked in Death movie? Who would you like to see cast as Lt. Eve Dallas and her billionaire hubby Roarke if the project gets to that stage?

When I first started reading J.D. Robb's In Death series, there were maybe just six books written in the series, and I had happened to pick up the second book. I loved it and went back the following week and bought all of the books available at that time. And have bought every one in the series since then. I love the world Robb has created, but what keeps me coming back is the characters. I adore the main and recurring characters in that series. I think of them as old friends. I actually miss them between books! The series does more than entertain; it can teach you, if you let it. Below are the top ten life lessons I’ve gleaned from the In Death series.

*Note: Beware of mild SPOILERS if you have not read the majority of the series*

1. Compromise really is the key to a successful relationship

At the beginning of the series, Eve is a no-nonsense cop with no tolerance for criminals. Roarke is a wealthy businessman with a dubious past and a healthy disdain for rules and authority, including the police. Over the series, Eve has strayed slightly from the straight and narrow and Roarke has become less shady. The compromise from them both has helped to strengthen their bond.

Whether it’s a mystery with romantic elements, a historical, or a contemporary, commonalities persist when the story takes place in Ireland. An exploration of Irish romances shows that there’s often nostalgia and an old-world charm in the way Ireland is depicted.

Nora Roberts has written many best-sellers with Irish settings and/or Irish characters. According to her website, “In the summer of that year [1980], Silhouette bought Nora’s first book. Irish Thoroughbred was published in 1981.” Here’s a description of the story.

“COME TO AMERICA. YOUR HOME IS WITH ME NOW.” Adelia Cunnane's uncle had written her. So Adelia had left Ireland to join him on what he had described as the finest horse farm in Maryland. Adelia agreed with her uncle about the farm. But what should she think about its owner, Travis Grant? She knew that he could master his strongest horse. She had seen his eyes soften at the birth of a foal. Yet his lips on hers demanded a submission that she was not yet ready to give — at least not until he had spoken the words she had to hear.

And away we go! Nora lays down some themes we see over and over in Irish-based romance. Ireland is the land of horses, horse breeders, horse trainers, and the Irish racing fraternity. The Irish fan out all over the world, bringing their equine expertise to farms, ranches, and race courses. Next, there are Irish families: always close, even if a son or a sister emigrated to England or America decades earlier. Confidence in their abilities is a hallmark of an Irish character. Lastly, they don’t love lightly or fall easily. Particularly when it comes to an Irish colleen, the hero who hopes to win her love had better put a ring on it.

There’s more to Irish romance than gorgeous equine beauties and extended families. For every book or trope I suggest, I hope you’ll return with a thousand more (exaggeration, another charming Irish trait!).

In a decrepit, long-empty New York building, Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s husband begins the demolition process by swinging a sledgehammer into a wall. When the dust clears, there are two skeletons wrapped in plastic behind it. He summons his wife immediately—and by the time she’s done with the crime scene, there are twelve murders to be solved.

The place once housed a makeshift shelter for troubled teenagers, back in the mid-2040s, and Eve tracks down the people who ran it. Between their recollections and the work of the force’s new forensic anthropologist, Eve begins to put names and faces to the remains. They are all young girls. A tattooed tough girl who dealt in illegal drugs. The runaway daughter of a pair of well-to-do doctors. They all had their stories. And they all lost their chance for a better life.

Then Eve discovers a connection between the victims and someone she knows. And she grows even more determined to reveal the secrets of the place that was called The Sanctuary—and the evil concealed in one human heart.

J.D. Robb (a.k.a. Nora Roberts) has given us such dynamic characters in her In Death series, featuring the ass-kicking, killer catching, Lt. Eve Dallas of the NYPSD, and her multi-billionaire husband, Roarke. Since this series began, this pair have lived their lives far from their very impoverished and harsh beginnings.

Romance readers are in the age of the billionaire and young, virginal, innocent heroine—many of the books being published now have a power imbalance between the hero and heroine. It is common for our hero to be powerful, rich, irresistible, seductive and a bit of a jerk. Don’t get me wrong; I love the alphahole as much as the next girl and you will never see me turning down one of those books. But isn’t it nice when you are able to find a book where the hero and heroine are equal in power? Where they are equal in influence and status? I have found a couple of examples of couples where both the man and woman are nothing to mess with.

Eve and Roarke (In Death series by J.D. Robb) — We have heard many times over that Roarke owns most of the known universe in the In Death series, but Eve is no slouch, either. She is a NYPSD detective and recently has been offered more. Both came from rough beginnings and changed their lives for the better; Eve made herself into the best cop around and Roarke made himself a lot of money. While no one can question the overriding influence of money, Eve has had a book and a movie written about her. She has taken down so of the most heinous criminals and managed to marry the hero too. ;)

Lieutenant Eve Dallas has plenty to be grateful for this season. Hosting Roarke’s big Irish family for the holiday may be challenging, but it’s a joyful improvement on her own dark childhood.

Other couples aren’t as lucky as Eve and Roarke. The Reinholds, for example, are lying in their home stabbed and bludgeoned almost beyond recognition. Those who knew them are stunned—and heartbroken by the evidence that they were murdered by their own son. Twenty-six-year-old Jerry hadn’t made a great impression on the bosses who fired him or the girlfriend who dumped him—but they didn’t think he was capable of this.

Turns out Jerry is not only capable of brutality but taking a liking to it. With the money he’s stolen from his parents and a long list of grievances, he intends to finally make his mark on the world. Eve and her team already know the who, how, and why of this murder. What they need to pinpoint is where Jerry’s going to strike next.

With fall approaching and the holidays soon upon us, we have something else to be thankful for—J.D. Robb's Thankless in Death, the latest investigation featuring Robb's police officer, Lt. Eve Dallas. Even if someone's feeling thankless, we ourselves are thankful for the talent of J.D. Robb (a/k/a Nora Roberts) in creating such memorable characters both in our investigating team and some pretty twisted and creative bad guys (although spoiled-brat-turned-killer, Jerry Reinhold, doesn’t appreciate his parents, his girlfriend, his friends or the luck that keeps him one close step ahead of Dallas and her team).